Radiation measuring meter



June 22, 1954 PIA. DUFFY 2 R E T E M G N m A E M N o I T A I D A R INVENTOR PHILIPAL DUFFY ATTORNEYS June 22, 1954 PQA. DUFFY 2,682,001

RADIATION MEASURING METER Filed Aug. 2, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 2.

AY ERAGE FIG. 3.

(AVE A FIG. 4.

fAVERAGE INVENTOR PHILIP A. DUFFY ATTORNEYS Patented June 22, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Philip A. Duffy,

United States-f Am This invention is directed to improvements in apparatus for detecting, and. quantitatively measuring radiations of a type produced by radioactivity, and particularly of gamma and beta radiation. Apparatus of this 'kind' has become known as a Radiac set or motor.

A principal object of the invention is to iprovide dry-battery-energized apparatus of a type described for surveying a localized region for betaand.gammaradiation, and for quantitatively indicating intensity of radiation in a range from a background intensity of substantiallyno radiation to an intensity well above "the humantolerance level which has'been set ata maximum of .1 roentgen fr.) per day of gamma radiation or an equivalent amount of other external ionizing radiation.

An object of the invention is to provide apparatus of a type described utilizable as the essential component of a radiac set that is selfcontained, rugged, light and portable, and is readily operated by non-technical persons.

A radiac set generally comprises. a detector device that "responds to radiation, and complementary equipment that converts or meters the response into a signal of some sort which is informative to the operator.

The radiation-responsive detector usually'comprises one or more tubes such as, for example, Geiger tubes. As is known, such a tube, "when suitably energized, provides a series of electrical pulses having a frequency that is a function of the intensity of the radiation whichfis received by the tube and to which it is operationally sen.- sitive. These pulses, however, are of random width and random height. In accordance with the invention, a special converter-meter converts these pulses into D. O. pulses of. constant width and constant height but having the same frequency as the pulses from the detector. The new pulses are used to provide a visual indication of an average of the pulses or an audible indication-of the frequency'ofthe pulses. Each of these indications is a measure of the radiation intensity.

The converter comprises a one-shot mulevibrator for shaping and timing the incoming pulses from the detector and a meter-arrangement including an 'instrumenthav ing a scale onwhich an average intensity of the pulsesis' indicated. In order that the radiac set may have a wider range of usefulness, it is provided with adjustments giving it several ranges of operation with the. same major component-parts.

Objects, teatures and innovations of theinven- Baltimore, 'Md., assignor to the v ericaas represented by the Secretary of the Navy Application August 2, 1951, Serial No. 239,967 2 Claims. (01. ZED- 83.6)

tion,in addition 'to the foregoing, will be discernibl'effrom the following description and accompanying drawing of a specific embodiment thereof. In the drawing:

'Fig. l is a simplified schematic wiring diagram of apparatus embodying the invention, and

Figs. '2, .3 and 4 are curves for explaining the operation of the set under different adjustments or ranges, the ordinates being amplitude and the abscissae time of current-flow'in the metering'or measuring circuit.

Apparatus for a radia'c set is shown schematically in Fig. l in an operating set-up for detecting gamma and beta radiation. It comprises an instrument I it having a scale calibrated for indicating the intensity of the radiation. The instrument Ill preferably is .a micro-ammeter having internal damping.

For greater utility, the instrument is provided with more than one scale, as for example with four'scales l2, it, it and I8 for the embodiment being described, each scale being calibrated for a different range of radiation-intensities.

For detecting, the complete range of radiationintensities for indication on the four scales, a pair. of detector tubes 26 and 22 are provided. The tubes are preferably Geiger tubes of known design. One tube may be an end-window-type of high sensitivity mounted in a casing with a closable window for the detection of'gamma and beta radiation, and the other may be a pencil type'of mediumsensitivity for'me'asuring gamma radiation only.

The tubes 26 and 22 are selectively rendered operablein the apparatus by any suitable-equipment, indicated in Fig. -1 as a switch 24 having contacts 26 .and 28 optionally engageable by a manually operated switch-blade pivoted-at a 'pivot '30. The contacts '26 and 28 are connected to the insulated high voltage electrodes of the Geigertubes 2B 'and'22, respectively, through resister's that have higlr resistances for pulsequenching and surge-limiting purposes in accordance 'with known practice.

High potential'in the order of 700 volts 'D. C. is supplied to the pivot 30 and hence to either of the high-voltage electrodes of the tubes 26 and 22*,fthro'ugh a signal-establishing circuit-branch 32 that includes a 'loadresistor 3d. The circuitbranch 32 connects toapoint 35=of ajhigh-voltage generating and rectifier means that is similar to that used in television sets. This high voltage D. Cssupply means is indicated in its entiretyby the reference numeral, 36 and comprises a rectizfler circuit 38 that includes the point-3,5.

The rectifier circuit 38 also comprises a voltage regulator corona tube 40, a comparatively low resistance resistor 42, the point 35, and a highresistance resistor 43 connected in series. These series-connected elements are connected as a whole in parallel with a capacitor 44 between ground and a point 45. From point 45, the rectifier circuit 38 comprises the anode-cathode circuit of an electronic tube 46 and a secondary winding 48 of a multi-winding reaction-type transformer 50. The tube 46 may be a shield grid type of tube, such as, for example, an electrometer tube CK'71AX connected as a rectifier. The filament of the tube 46 is energized from a separate winding 52 on the transformer 58. The resistors 42 and 43 and a capacitor 54 also help to smooth the rectified voltage supply.

The high voltage D. C. supply means 36 also comprises a generator in the form of a vacuum tube oscillator. The oscillator comprises an electronic tube 56, for example, a pentode CK522, having an A. C. cathode-anode circuit 58 including a primary winding 60 of the transformer 50, and a bypass capacitor 6 I, and comprises a main grid-circuit 62 including a feed-back winding 63 of the transformer 58 and parallelly-connected grid-biasing resistor 64 and capacitor 66. A .001 mfd. capacitor I0 is connected across the primary winding 60 for suppressing parasitic oscillations in the transformer 50.

The D. C. energy supply for the plate circuit of the tube 56 comprises a pair of additively series-connected D. C. sources I2 and 14, the positive high potential sides of which are connected to conductors I6 and I8 respectively. In the specific embodiment being described, to which the invention is not limited, dry batteries of 180 volts and 30 volts, respectively, can be used. During operation of the oscillator means 36, the capacitor 6i and a resistor 80 also help to limit modulation of battery voltage, especially as the internal resistance of the batteries increases with age.

The Geiger tube pulses are fed from the switch terminal 30 to a one-shot multi-vibrator through a conductor 82, to which the circuit branch 32 is connected, 2. coupling capacitor 83 and a conductor 84. The multi-vibrator comprises a pair of electronic tubes 86 and 83 which may be of the CK522 type. With no pulses in the connected Geiger tube, the tube 86 is normally conducting and the tube 88 is normally non-conducting or cut-off. To this end the anode of the tube 86 is connected to the voltage-supplying conductor "I8 through a load resistor 90 and a voltagedropping resistor 82; and the anode of the tube 88 is connected to the voltage-supplying conductor I6 through a load resistor 94, an audible signal resistor 96 and the instrument III. A smoothing capacitor 88 is connected across the instrument I0. The resistor 92 is a voltagedropping resistor for the screen grid of tube 86; and the screen grid of the tube 88 is potentialized through a voltage supplying and regulating circuit I00 comprising a gas voltage-regulating glow tube I02 and resistor I04 that is connected to the conductor I6. The resistor I04 drops the voltage for application to the screen-grid; and. a resistor I06 and a capacitor I08 filter and maintain it.

The control grid of the tube 88 is coupled to the anode of the tube 86 through a circuit H0 comprising a coupling capacitor H2 and a current limiting resistor H4. The circuit IIII has a circuit H6 connected thereto at the grid side of the capacitor H2. The circuit H6 extends to a point H1 and includes an input signal resistor H8 and a bleeder resistor I20. The circuit H6 is biased by voltage obtained from grid circuit 62 of oscillator tube 56. To this end a rectifier I22 is connected to the circuit 62 and feeds into smoothing and current-limiting filter-circuit elements comprising resistors I24 and I26 and capacitors I28 and I30.

In accordance with the invention, the anode of the tube 88 is connected to the control grid of the tube 86 through a circuit I32 that comprises a selected one of a plurality of coupling capacitors I34, I36, I38 and I40, of diiferent capacitances. The circuit I32 contains a movable contact-arm I4I for selecting a capacitor for use in the circuit. Leak-off resistors I42, I44, I46 and I48, of different resistances, are respectively associated with the capacitors I34, I36, I38 and E48 through a movable contact-arm I50. The contact-arms MI and I50 are mechanically interconnected so as to move simultaneously, and preferably are also interconnected with the scales I2, I4, I6 and I8 of the instrument III. The mechanical interconnection is indicated in Fig. l by the broken lines I52.

The cathodes of the tubes 86 and 88 are energized through a D. C. source I54 which may be a 1.5 volt dry battery.

It is apparent that the equipment can be considered to comprise four primary elements, namely, the radiation sensitive means comprising the Geiger tubes 20 and 22, the metering or the pulse shaping means comprising the multivibrator including tubes 86 and 88, the pulsemeasuring means comprising the instrument I0, and the D. C. voltage supplying means 36. The D. C. voltage supplying means makes available D. C. biasing voltages at points 35 and H1 for the circuits 32 and H6 respectively.

For an understanding of the operation of the voitage-supplying means, it is well to bear in mind that the transformer 50 is of the reaction type, and that the high voltage is generated as high-amplitude pulses resulting from the rapid decay of magnetic flux in the transformer core.

The oscillator circuit including the tube '56 and the transformer 50 is of the feedback type. The feedback voltage applied to the control grid of the tube 56 is sufficient during conduction to saturate the tube. This causes limitation of plate current after a time, and reduces the rate of change to zero. The induced voltage established during conduction begins to collapse. The induced feedback voltage goes negative, causing plat current cut-off. The collapsing magnetic field induces a high voltage peak which is applied to capacitor 44. The capacitor-voltage is smoothed by resistors 42 and 43 and capacitor 54, so that, with the action of corona tube 40, a suitable D. C. voltage is obtained at point 35. Capacitor and resistor 64 provide negative grid bias for the tube 56 which varies during the life of dry-cell batteries for the sources I2 and I4 in such a way as to stabilize the output of the oscillator.

Negative bias for the tube 88 is obtained from the voltage supplied by winding 63 which is rectifiecl by rectifier I22 and smoothed by filter elements comprising resistors I24 and I26 and capacitor I28.

Operation In normal operating stand-by condition of the equipment, the tube of the multi-vibrator museum:

18a conducting: andi" thee: tube 8.81 of: the: multia vibratorris; notz-conductings. thatfispcutmfiil.

AS'ZiSEJkLHOWIIftU'thB fart; incomingzradiatiomon'; theGeigerrtube; 20: or 22,-, dependinggyonjwhich. issin .-.u-se,- is.-ccnyerted-:-to:: random pulses: at i a rate; indicative: of :theaintensity: of-.radiation; .and;-when= a negative. pulseriss' supplied; to: thee: resistor: 34";v

pulse-on .the. resistor. 34:, converteditinto .ameasurablespulserbyqthe -multivibrator.

The'rcond-uction'stime::of1tubev88 is'zdetermined" by, thevRC constantszof thespositiva'feedback. loop. connecting, thewplatelof. tube; 88 to the. grid: of.

the. tube: 86.= This loop compriseslthe'; circuit; I32 whichrincludes one. of. thescapacitorsz I 34,-, I36 I3Baand I40'1'a11d-.:one-:of the: complementary: resistors I42,;I44; I46:and I48. Thezpulseeleng-th, which corresponds to;=the-conductiorr time,.,

measured by -the. currentflow inthe. plate: cir= cuit. of the tube: 88; this: plate 1 circuit comprise ingg, conductor: 16;.instrument I0 and. resistors Stand: 96:

In order to have the same maximumdefiection in the instrument I0 for maximum indicationsa in. each of:v the four: ranges selected, the pulse lengthfor:whateverxrangeis-selected should satisfy the equation D=Kf.(R-G).. whereD is full scale-deflection ofthe instrument I0='measured 'inmicroamperes; K is a constant which depends on the equipment used; I isthe pulse rate and-is-proportional to the maximum intensity of radiation on the scale-range selected; and RC is the factor determining pulse length, and is the product of the resistance in. ohms of the particular resistor I42, I44, I46, or I48 actually fully connected in the feedback circuit, with the capacitance in farads of the particular capacitor I34, I36, I38 or I40 associated with said particular resistor. This maintains the same average current through the instrument for a given deflection, on any one of the four ranges.

The transition of the random pulses of the Geiger tubes to regular pulses for measuring is indicated in Figs. 2, 3 and 4 for pulse rates of 2000, 200 and 20 per second respectively, providing pulse periods of .0005, .005, and .05 second respectively for maximum deflections in three different ranges. In each instance the pulses have the same amplitude; and the same average metering current flow is obtained in the plate circuit of the tube 88 with pulse lengths of 25, 250 and 2500 microseconds. Thus, assuming a pulse amplitude of one milliampere, an average current flow of 50 microamperes obtains in each range for maximum pulse-rate for that range. The magnitude of current flow drops with lower pulse rates.

From Figs. 2, 3 and 4, it is apparent that in addition to the tube 88 of the multivibrator functioning as a pulse shaper for fixing pulse duration, it must function as an integrating amplifier for regulating the current pulse amplitude. To obtain this performance, the screen grid of tube 88 is kept at constant potential by: means of: a: neonr voltage regulator'- circuit. Inthe; specific- .1

comprising 1' the glow tube I 02. embodiment. hereinbeforex. occasionally referred. to, this maintenance voltage" can bezapproxi-u mately-68 volts. A large: filter: capacitor: I08iis= connectedacross the. tube; I 0-2ito avoid' extinctiom of l the. flow in the. glow tube during: DUISES Of f screen conduction. Resistor I04 should haveaa resistance :low enough to avoid relaxation oscili lations.=

Akfurther regulatory provision is the-operatinrr oftubetfl at the upper limitofthe fl'at portion of the plate'characteristic. This makesthe tube relatively insensitive to decaying plate voltage over the-life of the dry batteries used-to energize the equipment. Additionally, tube- 88"should be--- made insensitive to variation in plate voltage supplied to tubete of the=multivibratora This can bedone by making the-pulse coupled from the-plate of tube 66 to the grid of tube-88 of sufficient amplitude to drive tube--38 to satura--- tion or the grid conduction region. The con-*- pling'is through circuit II 0; and" resis'tor H4" of 'thiscircuit limits the grid current, so'as" to maintain a constant input regardlessofsome variation of plate voltage on tube 86;

By providing an extremelyshortresolvingtime in the rate measuring circuit including'the"in strument I0" and thecathode-plate circuit of tube 88,,a high-degree of accuracy ='is'obtained;' Theinstrument I 0* isdampedbycapacitor to smooth the" pulsating plate currentofthe tube 68; particularly on the'most sensitive ranges wherelong conduction-time is required because of "low pulserate.

In thespecific-formreferred to; for full' scale deflection on instrument I0; theratio of conduction time tooff" time on all scales is-approx-=- imately i'to 20".- This was obtained with resistors- I04, I06, II4-and I I0 of'.39 meg., .1 meg, .lmeg: and "-1 meg, respectively; andcapacitor" I I 2 of 01" microfarad.

The particular operating range is selected by operation of the switches 24, MI, I50, and the use of the proper Geiger tube for the range. In an actual embodiment, the switches MI and I50 were mechanically interconnected, as represented at I52, so as to be movable in unison, thereby keeping the resistors I34, I36, I38 and I40 properly paired with the capacitors I42, I44, I46 and I48. In addition, the connection I52 changed the scale of the instrument I0 so as to read the radiation intensity directly, without the need of a correction or multiplication factor.

It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing disclosure relates to only a preferred embodiment of the invention and that it is intended to cover all changes and modifications of the example of the invention herein chosen for the purposes of the disclosure, which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A radiation-intensity measuring means comprising a plurality of sensitive means for producing pulses at a rate corresponding to the intensity of radiation, said sensitive means each comprising a pulse-quenching means and a signal-establishing circuit for establishing signal pulsesin response to the first said pulses, pulse forming means comprising a pair of multi-element electronic tubes each having at least a control grid and an anode and having coupling circuits connected between the control grid of one of said electronic tubes and the anode of the second electronic tube for generating pulses of uniform width in response to said signal pulses, means for selectively connecting one of said sensitive means to the control grid of a first of said electronic tubes, a plurality 01' pairs of timeconstant electrical elements comprising serially connectable resistors and capacitors, switch means for selectively connecting a selected pair of said time-constant electrical elements in said coupling circuit associated with the control grid of said first electronic tube and the anode of the second of said pairof electronic tubes, control means for maintaining said last named pulses at a constant amplitude comprising a voltageregulator tube connected to the screen grid of said second tube, instrument means connected to the anode of said second tube for indicating the average current therethrough, said instrument comprising a microammeter having a plurality of interchangeable scales each calibrated for a different range of radiation intensities, and switching means for selectively inserting a selected one of said scales on the instrument, said last mentioned switching means being mechanically connected with said switch means associated with said time-constant elements for unitary operation therewith.

2. A radiation-intensity measuring means comprising a plurality of sensitive means for producing random-width, random-height pulses at a rate corresponding to intensity of radiation, generating means for applying a high voltage to the sensitive means, pulse-quenching means in series with each of said sensitive means, a multivibrator comprising a pair of multi-element electronic tubes each having at least a control grid and an anode and having coupling circuits connected between the control grid of the first of said electronic tubes and the anode of the second of said electronic tubes for generating pulses of uniform height and uniform width in response to said first named pulses, switch means for se-' lectively connecting one of said sensitive means to the control grid of a first of said electronic tubes, a plurality of pairs of time-constant electrical elements each comprising serially connectable resistors and capacitors, switch means for selectively connecting any one pair of said timeconstant electrical elements in a coupling circuit associated with the control grid of said first tube and the anode of the second of said pair of tubes, means for biasing the second tube for operation at saturation including a separate rectifier located in a circuit between the control grid of said second tube and said generating means, control means for maintaining said generated pulses at a constant amplitude comprising a voltage-regulator tube connected to the screen grid of said second tube, instrument means for indicating the average recurrence rate of said generated pulses connected to the anode of said second tube, said instrument comprising a microammeter having a plurality of interchangeable scales each calibrated for a different range of radiation-intensities, and switching means for selectively inserting the proper scale on the instrument to correspond with the pair of timeconstant elements then in the circuit, said last mentioned switching means being mechanically coupled with said switch means associated with the time-constant elements for unitary operation therewith.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,383,478 Friedman et al Aug. 28, 1945 2,405,572 Friedman Aug. 13, 1946 2,418,892 Lord, Jr. Apr. 15, 1947 2,462,140 Spicer Feb. 22, 1949 2,503,730 Hare Apr. 11, 1950 

